Baby monitor app or dedicated baby monitor: which to choose?
Should you buy a video baby monitor, or use an app on the devices you already own? Both have their strengths. Here's an honest comparison, to help you choose for your situation.
At a glance
| Criterion | App (Lullink) | Dedicated baby monitor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, with your own devices | A device to buy |
| Hardware | A phone or tablet in addition to yours | A camera and a parent unit included |
| Setup | An app and a QR code | Ready to use |
| Several parents | Yes, each on their own phone or tablet | Often a single parent unit |
| Several rooms | Up to four on one screen | With extra cameras, depending on the model |
| Night log, clips | Yes | Rarely |
| Without Wi-Fi | Yes, a phone creates the network | Yes, dedicated radio link |
| Parent screen | Your phone, to keep charged | A device dedicated to the night |
| Range | That of your Wi-Fi | That of its radio link |
What an app does best
- Nothing to buy. An old phone or tablet is the camera, your phone is the parent unit.
- The whole family. Each parent watches on their own phone, the babysitter can get temporary access, and with the next version, the nursery will also show on the TV and Apple Watch.
- More features. Night log, clips of wake-ups, night light and lullabies started from your phone, up to four rooms on one screen.
- Always with you. When you travel, you bring nothing more than your phones. See Baby monitor without Wi-Fi.
What a dedicated monitor does best
- A device that only does that. The parent unit gets no calls or notifications, and its battery is designed for the night.
- Nothing to set up. Plug it in and it works: handy for grandparents who aren't comfortable with a smartphone.
- Independent of Wi-Fi. Its dedicated radio link doesn't depend on any router.
How to choose
An app is right for you if…
- you have an old phone or tablet you no longer use;
- several people look after the child, each with their own phone;
- you travel often, or sometimes stay with family;
- you want to follow several rooms, or keep a log of the nights.
A dedicated monitor is right for you if…
- you want a dedicated parent unit, with no phone to keep charged;
- the person keeping watch doesn't have a smartphone;
- you have no device to reuse.
Nothing stops you from trying: Lullink is free, and you'll know in one evening whether it suits you.
Either way
Choose a solution with an encrypted connection: what happens in a child's room is nobody else's business. With Lullink, picture and sound are end-to-end encrypted between your devices, with no account to create.